Ph issues identified. Now what's going on?

So a few days ago I found out my taps ph was 9 so I adjusted it to 5-5.5 and watered till about 10-20% runoff and tested some random plants and got a 6-6.5 ph. So I was pleased and let them grow. Now a few days later most have turned around and are doing great!! But a few have gotten worse and here is what the worst one looks like. (See below) Is it still just Ph should I test just the bad ones next watering and adjust those specifically. I don’t water with nutrients, I mixed in an organic dr. Earths 5-5-5 but doubled it to make it 10-10-10. So they haven’t gotten any more nutients since 1/25. Also I watered a tiny bit at transplant bc soil was pretty moist and just wanted to bond the soils, then I watered the first real time 1/31 with the 9Ph water then again on 2/4 with water at 5.5Ph to make pots 6-6.5. Now just a few look worse and they look like this. :frowning:

Anything you do in soil, and sometimes even in hydro, the damage to the leaves has already happened, it just doesn’t always show in all the leaves right away. The fact the the newest top growth looks good is probably a good sign, and you are probably on the right track and things should continue to get better.

~MacG

1 Like

Thank you! Im gonna wait a few more days to water and hopefully by then things are looking better. They have started growing much faster too so I’m confident you’re correct sr. Thanks again

Good advice MacG gave you. Changes in soil grows present themselves much slower than in hydro. :slight_smile:

1 Like

This could just be the very best grow I’ve ever had. Branches out of the first signiture leaves, and the cotolydens are still alive and healthy! Thanks everybody and special thanks to Robert for the guide!

nice spacing do you know the strain??

No clue the strain unfortunately. My buddy who gave me the seeds got popped for some dumb shit like the next week so I never got a chance to ask once they sprouted… But I need some help!! Sorry to keep bugging but I’m stressing a lot over this.

I’m guessing early nitro toxicity but idk. Never had it before. The tips of some have spots on them (See pic below), some have old scares from the Ph just growing out (I’m guessing and was told here), some are ‘down’ (I’m thinking poor drainage bc they all get equal everything) and others look great.

Thank you!

Also I haven’t added any nutrients since I mixed in a double dose of 5-5-5 oraganoc fertilizer when I repotted them on Jan 25. Watered them on 1/31, 2/4 (that’s also the day I found out my house tap water was shit compared to before and had to fix the Ph of my babies), 2/10 watered with distilled bottled water and got good Ph run off for all plants again. So not sure what’s going on. Don’t have the ppm reader yet, was hoping to hold off on that.

This is driving me !@#$ing crazy!! I just watered my plants and in minutes they have all curled down a lot. Wtf am I doing wrong. I have a ph test kit but it can’t be correct, so I’m going to get paper testers next. Then I have used any nutes since almost a month ago. Watered a lot to flush some of the extra out bc I know I used too much now.

Also some of the growth is starting to look almost reptile skin.


It’s possible I’m just freaking out about the reptile skin looking leaves bc I’m all on edge bc of the other problem. But I could have sworn they didn’t look that crackly last night or even a few hours ago

Are you sure you aren’t over watering? Do those containers drain well? Cannabis roots need lots of air and can suffer from over watering easily.

~MacG

i think MACG hit it squarely on the head …keep it simple …plant s OK… Then u watered, Then they drooped … high or low ph wont usually show that fast nor would nute burn .BUT if you turn off my bubbles in my DWC in minutes i can see them start to down turn in 1 hour i no dought have a problem … even soil will act this way …and it’s takes longer to fix …if their drowning try this add a small amount of water with peroxide in it to them … then let them dry out a bit .then water in small increaments till ur girls can handle it… …good fortunes to you …H

I was thinking of repoting them bc it’s almost time anyways and with the new soil, add 2, 3 or even more times the amount of pearlite to the mixture I make. Then seeing if they improve. They aren’t so far gone I need to trash them, but I almost don’t want to waist the time making the soil for 21 x 5 gallon pots.

The 2 plants that are really dropping or “down” in the first pic with all the ladybugs, are the same 2 in the back right upper corner are of this pic and it was taken just before watering

Back in the day when All I would use was Soil i mixed Promix BX to a mix of 50/50 perlite and vermiculite , but you’ll have to water it often . i was using drip emitters back then . Let me know if this helps . PS why all the lady bugs???are you having bug probs ???

How are you checking to make sure they need water? Are you sure you are not over watering them?

~MacG

I wait to water till first knuckle down is dry… But I found out I was way short on pearlite so I repotted with a richer mix… I do get bugs where I grow so I was just getting ready for them… I currently have months that keep laying eggs that turn into catapillers but I’ve only found 3 catapillers. I’m also waiting on some praying mantis to come in to eat the months and lady bugs unfortunately…


Here’s the new soil mixture. 2parts pearlite to 3parts potting soil.


And here is the repotting and new set up.

2 Likes

Here’s a more recent pic of the tips changing… I’m thinking nitro toxicity… Any other opinions?

2 posts were split to a new topic: 180 W Apollo full spectrum LED

You probably are over watering. And all of the deficiency looking problems can be from over watering alone. What most people do, and this process is actually very good for the roots of cannabis – water to saturation the first time, get a feel for the weight of the container saturated with water, and then don’t water again until the container feels very very light, as if all the soil is dry, all the way to the bottom, but before the plants show any signs of wilting from lack of water. This also helps keep some bugs that like to lay eggs in wet soil at bay.

~MacG

1 Like

I had bad soil drainage before. I repotted them in bigger pots with a better pearlite ratio. But can’t change the center mass of soil. So I’m just gonna live with my mistake and learn from it. But since I repotted it I’ve noticed what I think is nutrient deficiency??? Or is it still just drainage??